DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from applicant's description) Funds are requested to partially support a new Gordon Conference entitled "Molecular Biology of the Egg." This conference will be held at the Proctor Academy in Andover, NH, August 16-22, 1998. The goal of the conference is to bring together people working on the development of the oocyte in a wide variety of animals and from a variety of perspectives. The animals to be discussed include a number of invertebrates (nematodes, several echinoderms and insects) and vertebrates (fish, amphibians and mammals). Some of the topics to be discussed include: the formation of the germ line cysts; the role of the cytoskeleton and cytoplasmic bridges; membrane receptors particularly for sperm and vitellogenin; the structure and regulation of yolk proteins; molecules in the oocyte that affect embryonic patterning; RNA localization and translational control; and oocyte coverings. The funds requested will be used to support the attendance of conferees who would otherwise be unable to attend. The conference will be widely advertised to attract a diverse audience; particularly minorities and others underrepresented in the discipline.